The Philadelphia 76ers may have to fight their way to keep Quentin Grimes around next season.
To say that the Philadelphia 76ers have had a season to forget would be a huge understatement. In fact, I'd say that there isn't much that has gone right for the 76ers so far this season. But if there is any bright spot for the team, it can be said that it may have come from one of the most unlikely of places.
At the NBA Trade Deadline, the 76ers acquire Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second-round pick in a deal for Caleb Martin. At first glance, it was a somewhat curious deal. From an objective perspective, you could only assume that the 76ers made this deal with the goal of getting out from under Martin's contract. However, now the trade looks a lot different.
Quentin Grimes' breakout run with the Philadelphia 76ers
Since the trade to Philadelphia, Grimes has looked like a completely different player. It seems that the fresh start with the 76ers has sparked something in Grimes that many teams across the league have been waiting to see for some time. In fact, the argument can be now made that Grimes' breakout play with the Sixers over the last few weeks of the season puts an even greater emphasis on Philadelphia re-signing him during the offseason.
Slated to be a restricted free agent after this season, the 76ers will have a good chance to keep Grimes around. However, as is always the case with restricted free agency, these types of deals tend to be more difficult to hammer out than many realize.
But if there's any chance that the Grimes that the 76ers have seen over the last few weeks is the one that is going to stay, Philadelphia may have stumbled into one of the best steals of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Since the start of his career, there has been much promise surrounding Grimes. He's just not been a player that has reached his full potential over the last couple of seasons. While he had shown some signs of star potential in the past, he's struggled to find the right mix of consistency and role to help get him where he needs to be as a player.
Whether that has finally changed with the 76ers remains to be seen, but the early signs are extremely encouraging. In 18 games played with the 76ers, Grimes is averaging 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game on 51 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Grimes has been a huge find for the 76ers and with how he's played over the last few weeks of the season, it'd be a hard sell to the fan base to let him walk in free agency. Heading into the offseason, the 76ers may have to fight tooth and nail to keep Grimes in Philadelphia.